New Year’s Day is celebrated in Beijing on 1 February, opening the door to 12 months dedicated to the Tiger, a symbol of strength, power and fearlessness. A symbolic sign of hope that, as has been the case for decades, luxury brands celebrate with special projects and capsule collections. Here are some of them
Western luxury brands started celebrating Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, in the early 1990s. In other words, when Beijing was starting to become an economic powerhouse, expressing an emerging middle class that idealised opulence as a status symbol. Since then, every year at the end of December, more and more luxury brands study, unveil and launch capsule collections with celebratory products. Above all, they build a particular commercial narrative around these projects that is no longer exclusively aimed at Chinese consumers. This is, of course, also happening in this 2022, aka the Year of the Tiger.
The Year of the Tiger
The Year of the Tiger will begin on 1 February 2022 and end on 21 January 2023. Tiger in Beijing symbolises strength, power and fearlessness. Characteristics that somehow seem auspicious for a year like this one, which is off to a complicated start after a 2021 that did not change things as hoped. The clamorous celebration staged by Bottega Veneta in mid-January can therefore be read in terms of this desire to give meaning to the hope of a widespread restart and rebirth. The Kering group brand “borrowed” a long stretch of the Great Wall to create a digital installation green and tangerine colour with the inscription 新春快乐: Happy New Year.
Fendi, Etro, Balenciaga
Fendi released a special edition of the iconic Mini Peekaboo bag (tiger print lining) and a remixed version of the latest Match Sneaker. Etro dedicated its capsule collection to Tigress, the protagonist of Kung Fu Panda. The characters from the film are also featured on bags and small leather goods. Balenciaga focused on black and orange, including a neon version of the Le Cagole bag.
Marni and Prada
Marni has printed illustrations by Venezuelan artist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess on some products. For example: bags, accessories and jewellery. The cult piece is the mohair jumper covered in a tiger motif. Finally, Prada has gone even further: its capsule collection has been combined with the Action in the Year of the Tiger project to protect tigers.